Sensitivity After Teeth Cleaning: How to Avoid a Sensitive Tooth After Cleaning
Experiencing sensitivity after teeth cleaning is not completely uncommon. Around 12% of patients experience a sensitive tooth after cleaning at some point in their lives. Having a sensitive tooth after cleaning can occur for many different individual reasons.
This article will outline what happens at the dentist that can contribute to sensitivity after teeth cleaning, how you can avoid it, and what you can do to help heal the pain.
Table of Contents
Sensitive Tooth After Cleaning: An Overview of the Cleaning Process
The American Dental Association recommends a professional dental cleaning at least every 6 months. A dental cleaning consists of several services to improve your oral health and fight off harmful bacteria. This alone can make a sensitive tooth after cleaning worth it.
Here are a few things that happen during a dental cleaning:
- Intra-Extra Oral Exam: A thorough exam to screen and monitor for any abnormalities of the head, neck, and mouth.
- Dental Probing: Using a small instrument with a ruler at the end, your dental professional will measure the gum pockets. This is routinely done around once a year to keep an eye on the gum tissue and bone level.
- X-rays: X-rays help diagnose cavities, evaluate the bone level, check for any abnormalities, and see any plaque buildup called calculus (tartar).
- Prophylaxis: A prophylaxis is the name for the procedure of cleaning the teeth. Your skillful dental hygienist will use a combination of ultrasonic and hand instruments to remove food, plaque, and bacteria from the tooth’s surface and gum pockets.
- Dentist’s Exam: Working with the dental hygienist, the dentist will evaluate your oral health and diagnose accordingly.
For more information on dental cleanings, check out Breaking Down the Dental Cleaning Appointment.
Why Sensitivity After Teeth Cleaning Occurs
Although somewhat uncommon, sensitivity after teeth cleaning at the dental office can occur. Every tooth in every patient’s mouth is different and can vary from day to day. A small percentage of patients may feel a sensitive tooth after cleaning due to the following factors:
- Thin Enamel: Enamel is the outer layer of the tooth that acts as protection. If your enamel is thin or compromised, the dental instruments can cause sensitive teeth after cleaning.
- Common Causes: A high sugar and acid diet, clenching and grinding, acid reflux, trauma to the tooth, and poor oral hygiene.
- Recession: When the gums are damaged, recession occurs. This exposes the root that doesn’t have any enamel to protect it. Cleaning the root structure can cause a sensitive tooth after cleaning.
- Common Causes: Poor oral health, gum disease, clenching and grinding, and brushing too hard.
- Gingivitis: If the bacteria in your mouth isn’t controlled through good oral hygiene and a healthy diet, an infection can occur in the gums. Inflammation and pressure of the gum tissue can cause sensitivity after teeth cleaning.
- Periodontal Disease: Gum disease will cause damage to the gum tissue and surrounding bone structure that supports the teeth. Active gum disease can cause sensitive teeth after cleaning and recession. Our Essential Guide to Gum Disease provides additional information.
- Cavities: Having teeth with cavities cleaned can cause some sensitivity after teeth cleaning as well as during the cleaning. Although rare, this can occur depending on how big the cavity is and the location on the tooth.
- Calculus Removal: Poor oral hygiene and infrequent dental cleanings will cause hardened plaque to build on the teeth. Heavy buildup can cause your teeth to get used to having that barrier and may need time to adjust, which can cause a sensitive tooth after cleaning.
Other Causes of Sensitive Teeth After Cleaning
Sensitive teeth after cleaning can be triggered by many different individual factors. If tooth pain occurs from any of the reasons below, contact your dental office today.
- Large cavities on the teeth
- Food stuck in between teeth or in the gum pocket
- Tooth abscess from an infection
- Clenching and grinding
- Sinus pressure or a sinus infection
- TMJ pain from flare-ups
- Wisdom teeth pressure when erupting
- A misaligned bite interfering with the jaw and teeth
- Trauma to the tooth, face, or jaw
Preventing A Sensitive Tooth After Cleaning
Routine dental cleanings are essential in maintaining oral health. If you experience a sensitive tooth after cleaning, your dental professionals can work with you to improve your comfort. Ways to prevent tooth sensitivity before and after dental cleanings are:
- Good Oral Hygiene: Having good homecare habits will help keep enamel strong and gum tissue healthy. This includes brushing 2 times a day and flossing daily.
- Routine Dental Cleanings: Having your teeth cleaned at least every 6 months will keep your mouth healthy and help screen for cavities, gum disease, compromised enamel, and recession.
- Fluoride Treatments: Receiving professional fluoride treatments at the dentist can help strengthen your enamel and act as a shield for a sensitive tooth after cleaning.
- Dental Products for Sensitive Teeth: Specially formulated toothpaste and mouthwash for sensitive teeth can help prevent dental sensitivity.
- Your dental professionals can also recommend a prescription toothpaste that helps with tooth sensitivity.
Recommendations for Sensitivity After Teeth Cleaning
If you’re feeling discomfort or some painful sensitivity after teeth cleaning, you should contact your dentist and let them know. They will be able to provide you with an answer since they know your specific situation.
Perhaps you have a cavity and some sensitivity after teeth cleaning should be expected. Or maybe they will want you to come back into the office for further examination.
Either way, it’s always best to keep your dentist up to date with any pain you are experiencing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my teeth sensitive after a teeth cleaning?
A sensitive tooth after cleaning can occur for several different reasons. The most common causes are weak enamel and recession of the gums.
Is it normal for your teeth to hurt after a deep cleaning?
Some tooth and gum sensitivity is normal after a deep cleaning and goes away as the mouth heals. Bone loss from gum disease exposes more of the tooth’s root where the cleaning takes place.
Take Home Smile Store
Visit our Take Home Smile store for educational brochures and other fun printables to help with oral hygiene. All products can be customized to fit your dental needs.
